Found You
by mkalii
Summary: Famous tv host Caitlin DiLaurentis is asked to do the Dancing with Stars tv show. She expected some of the things to come. what she didn't bargain for was having pro Derek Hough as her partner or what she found with him.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hey guys, as a heads up, this is not the beginning of the story. In the process of writing it, I lost the beginning. I am trying to locate it in the depths of my hard drive. If not I'll rewrite it and post it here. Thanks! ~Melissa

Chapter 1

We pulled up to a small, cottage-like building. The marquee read "Guidice's Ristorante." I immediately loved the place. I absently reach for the door handle. After a few moments of groping around for it, I turned my head towards the door. Derek was standing there, holding the door open for me, with a smile on his face. I sighed inaudibly. _Of course he was holding the door. He's perfect, remember? _I smiled. "Thank you, Sir." I chuckled. "You're quite welcome, Milady." He replied.

When we step into the restaurant, my nose is pleasantly assaulted by the smell of oregano and tomato. We are greeted by an over-friendly hostess, who leads us to our seats. She only addresses Derek, agitating me further. The hostess must have spilled to the waitress about how gorgeous Derek was, because she was even friendlier. She didn't even look in my direction. What I realized was that I wasn't upset because she was ignoring me. I was upet because the waitress _wasn't _ignoring Derek. I was still trying to figure out why I was so upset that they were giving him attention. I thought that I couldn't possibly have feelings for him. _Or could I?_ I thought. .

I decided on mushroom ravioli and Derek ordered lasagna. "I love this place already.", I said halfway through my meal. "I thought you might.", he replied, smiling. "Is there any more surprises I should know about for today?", I asked, partially teasing him. "Maybe.", He replied ambiguously with a impish grin.

Within another half hour, we were again on the road in Derek's Lexus. I called dibs on the radio the second we got in the car. Derek obliged. My favorite song came on: Taylor Swift's Safe and Sound. I unknowingly began to sing aloud to the song. "You're voice is beautiful.", Derek commented and he looked over towards me. I subsequently blushed because I forgot he was listening. "Thanks, but I don't compare to Taylor Swift's version.", I said laughing. "You're right, you're _better_ than Taylor Swift.", he replied. As I glanced sideways, I could see something about his eyes, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

Twenty minutes later we arrive at a apartment complex in downtown Los Angeles. I assumed we were going to his apartment. Once again, Derek opened my door before I could. From then on it didn't bother me that he did chivalrous acts like opening the door for me. My hand briefly brushed against his. An electric shock rushed through my hand at contact. Both our hands jerked away immediately. I couldn't help but think that he felt it too.

A few moments later we arrived at his apartment. The door read 5C. He then unlocked the door and lead me inside. It was a cozy little apartment. A small kitchenette with stainless steel appliances and granite countertops took up majority of the left side of the room. The adjacent space held a small sectional, a coffee table, and a sixty inch plasma atop a small black composite entertainment center. As my eyes reached the back of the room, I saw a platform bed neatly downturned with a simple navy duvet. To the right of that, I saw two doors. I assumed that one was a closet and the other was a bathroom.

"It's so cute.", I finally said, after analyzing the space. "Thanks.", he replied, smiling. "Make yourself comfortable.", He continued, as he went into the kitchen area. Taking his cue, I plopped down on the sectional. "Anything to drink?", he called from the kitchen. "Surprise me.", I called back. A few minutes later, Derek walked towards the sectional with two margaritas. "They look really good.", I commented. "They taste even better.", Derek replied.

We eventually decided on watching a movie. Unfortunately, Derek called dibs on choosing the movie. Even though Derek had an extensive movie collection, he began scrolling through Netflix. He decided on Final Destination Three. I groaned loudly. "Don't worry, I'll protect you.", Derek teased. "I feel much safer now.", I teased back. I tried to close my eyes, but it didn't reduce the scary factor. I jumped at a particularly scary scene. I ended up in Derek's lap. "Sorry.", I apologized, thankful that he couldn't see me blushing. "Nothing to apologize for.", He said smiling.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Ughhhhhhh...", I groaned as I heard my alarm go off. I started reaching around for my phone. I was restrained from moving. As I opened my eyes, I found that two muscular arms were wound around my waist. I looked up to see Derek's sleeping face. I then realized that I was much too comfortable. I felt bad if I had to wake him up, so I fell back asleep in his arms.

A few hours later, I felt Derek starting to move. I peeked up at him. His eyes were open and he seemed to be looking down towards me and smiling. I took this as a good sign. I then pretended to just have woken up. "How did this happen?", I asked, laughing a little. "I think we both fell asleep on each other.", he replied, laughing. "I think so.", I replied, smiling.

As I reluctantly tried to disentangle myself, my foot got caught under the coffee table and I stumbled, falling back onto Derek who was still on the couch. I look at him, my cheeks burning. He smiled at me assuredly. "What can I say, I'm a klutz.", I state, shrugging. "You do have a bad habit of falling, tripping, or stumbling every so often.", Derek agreed.

Derek invited me to stay for breakfast. I gladly accepted not wanting to leave. He insisted on cooking, so I sat back and turned on the TV. I come to realize I have a million missed calls and a backed up inbox. A few were from my mom, but the vast majority were from Penelope. I sent her a text telling her I'd meet her for a late lunch and explain everything. My mom was worried because she hadn't been in contact with me in over a day. I replied to her saying that I was really busy with this new script that didn't really exist and Dancing with the Stars had taken up most of my time for the past few days. When I told her who my partner was she about went through the roof. She had a million questions for me, which I put off, saying that it would just be easier to talk in person. If she only knew that I had spent the night wrapped in _his _arms at _his_ apartment. She'd have a cow and then some.

By the time I got my iPhone unclogged of all those messages and calls, Derek announced breakfast was ready. I spotted a myriad of food atop the table. _Apparently, he's Bobby Flay's long lost son too, _I thought. The omelet and hash browns I ate were amazing. "This is amazing.", I comment. "Thanks, I knew watching Food Network would pay off some day.", Derek said. We spent the next few hours in even more conversation. I reluctantly had to leave at three to make my lunch date with Caitlin. Derek drove me back to my apartment. During the car ride he mentioned that we'd have an eight hour practice the following day at the studio. I tried to conceal my excitement at the thought. Right after we said goodbye, Derek suddenly leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. His eyes held mine for a moment before he got into his car and drove off. I stood there incredulously and I watched his car disappear down the road.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

During my drive over to the cafe downtown where was meeting Penelope, I couldn't help but mull over every minute detail of Derek's kiss on my cheek. It had felt as if I was shocked yet again from his contact. The big question was whether or not he felt it too.

As I walked into the cafe, I spotted Penelope anxiously waiting at our usual table. She really wanted to know my explanation for this whole thing. I sat down, expecting Penelope to spontaneously combust. "You're explanation, now!", Penelope gushed. "This is going to sound really bad, but I spent the night at Derek's.", I explained, lowering my eyes to the mosaic bistro table to hide my embarrassment. "Did you sleep with him or something?!", Penelope asked in an accusatory voice. "No! Of course not!", I half yelled. "Who do you think I am?!" I asked rhetorically. "Well, I honestly wouldn't blame you. He's like a sex god or something." ,Penelope said in an admiring tone. "How'd you end up staying the night?" She asked, prying ever so slightly. "I fell asleep as we were watching a movie, and apparently so did he. The next thing I know I wake up laying on his chest wrapped up in his arms.", I explained, recalling the morning's events. "Wasn't it awkward when you both woke up?", she asked, confused. "Not really. We laughed about it. He even made me breakfast." I recalled, smiling. "How cute!", Penelope squealed. "So nothing physical happened between you two?", She clarified. "He did kiss me on the cheek.", I admitted, blushing. "Awhhh!", Penelope exclaimed. For the next hour or so, we went back and forth arguing over a future relationship between Derek and I. I told her while he was a nice guy, it would probably be best if we didn't have a romantic relationship because of the upcoming involvement with the show. Of course, being a diehard romantic, she said we could make it work. To pacify Penelope, I told her that if the time came where we both openly had feelings for each other, I would pursue a reltionship with Derek. Until that time came, I would not cross the boundary of the friend zone. At least, that's what I told myself.

By the time my lunch with Caitlin was over, I was exhausted. I decided to invite my mom over to hangout at the loft with me and Lily. I had about an hour before she was due over. I changed into Pink sweats and a Fabulicious tank top. I fed Lily, and got snacks ready just in case. Before I knew it, my mom was at the door.

The first thing she did as she walked into the door was critique the new arrangement of my furniture. I said nothing, but I rolled my eyes to express my thoughts. I brought out the snacks and we chit-chatted for a few hours. Like Penelope, she tried to decipher a non-existent relationship between Derek and I. I gave her the same spiel as Penelope, leaving out the whole spending-the-night-at-Derek's-house scandal. The last thing I needed was another motherly lecture. What she didn't know couldn't hurt her. "I think it's time that I head home, it's getting late and I have to take Ian to an appointment early tomorrow morning." , my mom said, heading for the door. "Alright, I'll walk you out.", I replied.

I headed straight for bed, knowing the torturous pain that awaited me the following day. I was restless for hours on end. The way Derek and I had parted the last time, had me feeling uneasy. I didn't know what to make of that kiss on the cheek. All night, I tried to decipher the meaning of that kiss. My rational side said it was a simple gesture; no emotional attachment behind it. My emotional side desperately wanted to believe it meant something more. I debated this in my head until I succumbed to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

My alarm blared much too early for my liking that morning. I put on my specially purchased dancing outfit and shoes with this weird sense of pride. A part of me always wanted to take dance lessons, but I had never gone through with it. I had asked my hair stylist to put my hair up in this braided up-do. I would have done it myself but it was much too intricate for my rudimentary braiding skills. I figured the up-do would stay in place during all the dancing more than a simple pony tail would. I applied makeup sparingly, and headed out the door.

I went way past the speed limit the whole way due to my anxiety. I hoped to God that it wouldn't be awkward. The kiss was bad enough. I hoped he hadn't changed his mind on how he felt about me sleeping over his house. I wanted us to get off on the right foot in regards to the upcoming show. The last thing I needed was to have this awkward tension between us.

Almost slamming into the parking barrier and a pretty Lexus that I recognized as Derek's, I pulled into the parking space. I walked nervously down the path that led to Studio C. I was on the verge of a panic attack. After calming myself, I walked through the double doors. The second I saw his face, I had an overwhelming urge to run up to him and jump into his arms. When walked up to me and opened his arms slightly, I smiled and wrapped my arms around him for a moment. I pulled away before I did something I'd regret. "Hey, how are you?", he asked. "Good, and you?", I replied. "Slightly better than good.", he said.

He led me into the adjoining dance studio within the large studio. "For the first week, we have to do the Cha Cha.", Derek announced with anticipation. "Yay, I like that one.", I replied. As much as it had bothered me, I realized that I was happy that this dance required almost constant physical contact. Derek, bless him, broke down the choreography into a few steps at a time. It made it a hell of a lot easier. I wasn't expecting how much cardio I actually got. Derek spun me effortlessly and then dipped me. I forgot for a split second that he was gonna dip me. I managed to recover. His face was two inches from mine, our lips just centimeters. For just a moment, we gazed into each other's eyes. I almost got lost in his vast pools of blue. We both then quickly went into the next move, trying to forget what had just happened.

Five hours later I was exhausted. "Alright, I think we'll be good for today.", Derek announced with almost no fatigue in his voice. I smiled up at him. "You're welcome.", he replied to my unsaid thank you laughing. I shoved him jokingly. I tripped over his shoe, and went stumbling towards him. I slammed into him, throwing us backwards and onto the hardwood floor. With both of us still on the floor, I peeked through my hands to gauge his reactions. He just laughed uncontrollably. "Stop it!", I half yelled, while jokingly swatting at his shoulder. "For some reason, I think you are the only person who is possibly capable of doing that.", he theorized, shaking his head. "I'll make it up to you, how about you come over to my apartment and we can watch a movie of your choosing.", he offered with a hopeful expression. "I'd love to.", I replied smiling.

My sister, Sophie, called and asked if she could borrow my car because Dad was currently fixing hers. I asked Derek if I could ride with him to the apartment and I'd have Sophie drop my car off later. "Of course.", he said with a you-really-have-to-ask voice. "Thanks, I really appreciate it." "Happy to do it.", he said. His eyes were saying something beyond that but I couldn't put my finger on it.

Being the person that I am, the second we were in his Lexus I called dibs on the radio. During the car ride, I stole glances at Derek. I was trying to figure out what was going on in his mind short of telepathy. By an act of God, Little Moments by Brad Paisley began to fill the Lexus. I quickly got lost in his voice. "You really should pursue a career in singing. Your voice is beyond beautiful.", he said admiringly. I didn't even realize that I was singing out loud. "You're too sweet.", I say depreciatingly. "No, I'm being honest.", he replied.

Before I knew it, we were inside his apartment. "I would make you a four course dinner but my fridge is borderline empty.", he apologized. "It's the thought that counts.", I said, smiling up at him. "Chipotle run?", Derek asked. "Read my mind.", I said.

Thanks to the centralized location of Derek's apartment, it was a little over a five minute drive to the closest Chipotle. As we stepped out of the car, we were assaulted by flashing cameras. The premiere hadn't even been filmed yet, and there was already a press mob. Derek got me inside quickly enough that it minimized the amount of shots the press got. We walked into with calmness surrounding us. Somehow, no one seemed to notice. I ordered a chicken burrito with extra rice, and Derek got a barbacoa burrito. I got an Izzie too. I used to drink at least three a day. I reached for my wallet to pay. I looked up for a split second to see Derek hand the cashier enough to pay for both of our orders. "Will you ever let me pay for anything?", I asked shaking my head. "Short of your mortgage, I don't think so.", he replied with an intonation that I couldn't tell was joking or serious. Derek grabbed my hand and quickly pulled me through the press mob.

Like every other time, I claimed dominance over the radio. Nothing worth singing was on. Within minutes, we were sitting on his ridiculously comfy couch eating our burritos. Soon, I leapt for the remote and curled up on his couch. I decided I was in the mood for payback for his movie choice. I scrolled through Netflix and chose The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1. I looked over to see that he had no reaction to m movie selection. "Aren't you upset with my choice?" I ask skeptically. "My dear sister Julianne dragged me to see it like three times. It doesn't really bother me anymore," he chuckled. I internally frowned at the fact that he wasn't bothered by it at all.

Watching Bella and Edward's relationship play out on screen made me long for a relationship like theirs. What I was coming to realize was that it wasn't just a relationship I wanted, it was one with Derek. I felt myself inch towards Derek on the couch subconsciously. It felt like something was drawing me towards him. Suddenly, I felt something move behind my back. Derek's hand had brushed against my back accidentally as he moved it. Then I noticed that his arm was slung behind my back as if his arm was around me. It was impossible to decipher whether or not it was intentional.

After the movie, we stayed up most of the night talking about everything and anything. It was so natural. It felt like I had known him my whole life. Before I knew it, it was around eight in the morning. We would have practice in a few hours.

I ran home and showered as quickly as possible, knowing that my stylist team was going to need most of the time to perfect my look. I sat in the chair, good naturedly enduring the tugs and pulls of hair, and the ever present makeup and brushes. I still didn't understand how it could take so long to put my hair into a ponytail and do very minimal looking makeup. But I wasn't about to ask.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I drove nervously to the studio. This was the last week of rehearsals that we would have before the premiere. Extra pressure was put on because my partner was with Derek. Everyone tends to automatically swoon over the thought of partnering up with Derek. What they didn't realize is that he came with the pressure that he has gone into the finals every time appearing on the show. I was determined not to disappoint him. With resolve, I walked into the studio.

The week passed swiftly without incident. Suddenly, I found myself getting dressed for the premiere. Derek and I had collaborated with our costume designer, Pnina, to create the perfect coordinating cha cha outfits. My costume consisted of a bra-like top that was hot pink and it was bedazzled. It have silver and pink fringe dripping from the bottom of the top to a little past my midriff. Pnina made a matching mini fringe skirt with a pair of bedazzled fuchsia ballroom shoes. Derek was made a fuschia button down shirt and a pair of black pants with a fuchsia stripe down each leg. The costumes complemented each other well.

I stepped out of my dressing room after changing fresh out of hair and makeup team. I brought my stylist team with me. I was left with dramatic eyes and perfect ringlets cascading down my back. Once my eyes laid on Derek, I was dumbfounded. He looked the statue of Adonis come to life. My eyes first laid upon his deep pools that were his eyes. I traveled to his perfectly shaped lips. I finally took in all of him. His fuchsia shirt only made him more masculine. The shirt hung open with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He was the epitome of perfection in my eyes.

"We've done countless hours of rehearsal. You've worked so hard and I'm so proud of you," Derek pep talked me. Before I could say anything to him, our names were announced and we had the pushy stage manager towing the two of us to the top of the staircase for our dramatic entrance. We walk down arm-in-arm, as the crowd roars. I was trying to look at cameras while trying to watch my feet so I wouldn't trip. Before I knew it, we were on the ballroom floor watching Val Chmerkovskiy descend gracefully down the stairs with his partner.

A few days before, I had learned that we would be the first couple dancing. It added to my anxiety all the more. Backstage, Derek was giving me a few last words of wisdom. I tried to absorb his words while trying to calm myself down. I took a deep breath, and positioned myself to start the dance.

"Caitlin DiLaurentis and her partner Derek Hough performing the Cha Cha," the announcer's voice echoed through the whole venue. The music began and we were off. Something in Derek's eyes motivated me to keep going. I began loosening up and feeling more confident. Soon, the music overtook me. It felt like there was nobody but the two of us there. The inevitable mood and choreography of the Cha Cha made it even harder to deny the developing feelings I had for him. Just as quickly as it had started, the dance was over.

As we walked towards the judges' table Derek whispered in my ear, "You were amazing, I'm really proud of you,". I smiled and replied, "It's only because I have an amazing teacher," I whispered back. He smiled, then we waited for the judges comments.

As customary, Bruno started. "I have three words, hot, hot, hot!," He exclaimed. Typical Bruno. Carry Ann and Len complemented us on our technique and chemistry. _Finally, someone else sees the chemistry, _I thought. So I wasn't clinically insane. We went up to the sky box to get our scores. Much to my dismay, Brooke Burke-Charve had to ask us a question pertaining to our performance. I answered with Derek, pretending I was speaking to anyone but who I was actually talking to. Our scores came out three nines, the highest of the night. I was ecstatic. Derek hugged me and kissed my cheek for the second time. I had to restrain myself from responding.

I went home that night exhausted. I fed Lily and went straight to bed. I was asleep before my head hit the pillow. I woke up the next day bright and early to begin rehearsal for next week's show. As per routine, I sat in my pajamas, at the mercy of my stylist team. Mercifully, it was short prep that morning. After all, I was going to be sweating and dancing for the majority of the day.

I arrived at the studio in no time, the excitement from the previous night still in my system. I walked in to find Derek, bless him, holding a Starbuck's bag, and two coffees. "I thought this was well deserved after last night's amazing performance," he explained. I gratefully took the mocha and blueberry scone. I was a great way to start the morning.

"Okay, so we have been assigned the rumba this week Derek announced. "It's similar to the Cha Cha, and bits and pieces of choreography from last week will be incorporated," he continued. "I'm game," I said with an heir of confidence. Then, I was vaguely aware of the cameras surrounding us as we rehearsed. I tried to block them out, and concentrate on the steps. Derek felt that I it would be very beneficial for me to practice my dips. We did them countless times. Each time I gained confidence and more .

What Derek never told me was that the rumba was way more complex. Well, his version of the rumba anyways. "Dammit!", I yelled. I was in mid-move and I missed one of the steps on top of being off-time. "That was good. You're trying your best. It's all I can ask for", he said way too kindly. "No, I keep messing up. I'm terrible", I replied miserably. "No, you are doing amazing." This time there was this finality in his eyes that I didn't dare challenge.

Weeks passed by in a blur. We managed to stay number one on the leader board, which I was extremely proud of. Derek and I hungout more and more. We were doing something together for at least five days a week. Consequently, we appeared in the tabloids more and more. The only thing the tabloids ever mentioned about us is how madly in love we were and the scandalous relationship we continued. I gawked at them whenever I saw them. Thankfully, I never saw those tabloids when me and Derek were out and about. That would be the ultimate awkward moment.

Rehearsals became harder and harder. Not just physically, but emotionally. My whole body may have been aching, but that was nothing to how my heart felt. I could no longer deny my feelings for Derek. It was hard to be around him when I felt the way I felt and not knowing how he did. I wanted to tell him, I just didn't know how.

It was a typical Friday during rehearsal. We were going over some of the trickier dance moves for the Viennese Waltz. We had the music selection going as we were dancing. We went in for a move, but he was closer than I expected. I honestly couldn't bear it. I bolted out of the room fighting back tears. Once I was out of the room, I sat on the ground and let the sobs overtake me. I was sobbing so loudly that I didn't hear Derek sit next to me. He gently pried my hands from my face and put them in his. "What's wrong Caitlin?" he asked concerned and confused. I just shook my head. He put one finger under my chin and lifted my head up to meet his eyes. "Tell me." He requested in a soft voice. His eyes were intense, keeping hold of my gaze. I sighed. "I have like these insanely strong feelings for you. I didn't know how to tell you. I didn't want to screw this whole thing up." I sort of ranted. The worst feeling was the few seconds of deafening silence that ensued. His gaze held mine. Before I knew what was going on, Derek grabbed my face and crashed his lips to mine.

At first, my lips were still, unmoving from the initial shock. When I finally realized what was happening, I melted into him. I grabbed his face and pulled him as close as I could. We stayed like this for a while. Eventually, we both had to come up for air. We both looked at each other for a moment. "Now you know how I feel", Derek said. "Do you want to come over my place so we can straighten this thing out?" he asked. "Actually, do you want to come over my loft? I've been meaning to show you around", I asked. "Sounds good", he assented. He kissed me on my forehead and headed for his Lexus.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

I drove home as quickly as possible, hoping to have a few extra minutes to straighten up the loft and get Lily fed. I flew through the door straightening up as much as possible. There was only a few dishes in the sink, a few magazines on the floor, and an unmade bed. After taking care of those issues, I ran around the loft, lighting at least twenty candles in total. I fished through the couch cushions and found my two remotes. I put on HGTV, and placed the remotes back on the coffee table. I just had enough time to change and touch up my makeup before Derek was at the door.

I wrenched open the door, anxious to see him. "Hello, beautiful", he greeted me, smiling. "Hey there", I replied. Our eyes locked for a moment. When I could finally manage to break eye contact, I grabbed Derek's hand and led him through the door. I walked him through the loft while casually talking. He complemented the loft several times as I gave him a tour. When I finished the tour, I led him to the couch and we both plopped down on the couch.

"I want to apologize for running out of the room earlier. It wasn't fair to you. Especially when you're working so hard and being such a good sport with me", I apologize, trying not to look directly into his eyes. "It's not your fault. I know how it feels to be on your end. During this season, my feelings for you increased quickly. I tried to hide it and act like everything was okay. I didn't want to let you down or make things awkward", Derek explained. "That's exactly how I felt!", I exclaimed. "Well, now that we know how the other feels, will you go out with me?" He asked somewhat timidly. "Of course!" I squealed with delight.

Derek's eyes lit up as he slowly bent his head towards me. Being the impatient person that I am, I greedily grabbed his face and pulled him closer. I must have been pretty absorbed because the next thing I knew we were on the floor next to the coffee table.

I turned my eyes to Derek's face with a confused look. "Only you wouldn't notice tumbling onto the floor and hitting your head in the process," Derek said laughing, shaking his head. "In my defense, I was a little absorbed with something else at the time," I explained, laughing too. "My kissing skills were that good?" he asked, smiling. "Mhmmmm…." I assented. Unfortunately, my obnoxious stomach growls ruined the moment. "Let's see if my cooking skills will compare," said as he swooped me up in his arms and carried me into my kitchen. "It would be pretty impressive if you could cook while holding me," I challenged him. "It would be really impressive," Derek agreed. However, he kissed my cheek and set me on the granite counter.

After picking apart my fridge, Derek decided he was going to make a steak and risotto dish that had some fancy name and tiramisu cake for dessert. In all honesty, I just wanted the tiramisu. I offered to help several times to no avail. He insisted that I just sit back and relax. And that's exactly what I did. As I watched him cook, I saw the skill that he cooked with. If he ever had a mid-life crisis he should definitely pursue a career in the culinary arts. As I continued to watch Derek cook, I could picture this same scene. I saw Derek in front of the stove cooking and my arms were wrapped around his waist behind him. I looked down to see the most beautiful ring on my finger. I looked over by the couch and an adorable baby girl with Derek's eyes was sitting in her bouncer. It was perfect.

As I came back to reality, I realized that dinner was done and put on the table. I hopped off the counter and lazily sat in the seat Derek pulled out for me. I devoured what Derek made. It tasted amazing. It could have been easily the best thing I had ever eaten.

When Derek placed a plate of tiramisu in front of me my eyes lit up. I almost forgot that he had even made it. No surprise, it was delicious as well. I made a mental note to have Derek teach me that recipe.

Once we both finished eating, we cleaned up the kitchen and cleared off the table in no time at all. We mutually agreed that we have watched our share of movies these past few weeks. Being the person that I am, I have a hidden collection of board games for times like these. I suggested the idea to Derek and he surprisingly had no objections.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

To choose the board game, I closed my eyes and grabbed the first game I touch. I stared at horror at the game I had chosen. Twister. Derek seemed unfazed by the choice of game. I reluctantly pulled out the mat and spinner from the box. But when I looked up and saw the "smile" in his eyes, I cheered up a little.

I designated Derek to operate the spinner. It wasn't as bad in the beginning. As it started to progress it became near impossible. "Right hand blue," Derek said. "Ughhhh…", I groaned as I attempted to put my right hand on the blue circle that seemed so far away. Just as I was about to place my hand on the blue space, my left foot slipped and I began to fall down. Before I went down, I wrapped my arms around Derek's waist and pulled him down with me.

After we hit the ground, Derek hovered over me and rolled his eyes. "Cheater," Derek stated as he gazed into my eyes. His voice had this overwhelmingly seductive quality to it. "Sore loser," I retaliated, matching his previous voice while stroking his cheek. I just had enough time to catch something change about his eyes before he grabbed both my wrists in one of his hands and pulled them above my head. He then kissed me with passion and urgency I had never experience. My arms instinctively wanted to wrapped themselves around Derek's neck but they couldn't. So I resigned myself to returning the favor of his kiss.

By the time we even cared to check the time it was past midnight. We both became sleepy quickly after that. My heart sank as I saw Derek get up to grab his keys. "Hey, do you just want to stay here for tonight? I don't really want to sleep alone tonight and you're too sleepy to drive," I said, my heart pounding in anticipation. "Are you sure? I don't want to impose or make you feel uncomfortable," Derek replied with uncertainty in his voice. "You are not in any way imposing and I'm not uncomfortable. It's not like we're gonna sleep together," I say, laughing. "If we sleep in the same house we're technically sleeping together", Derek pointed out. "Har, har", I said with mock humor. Derek didn't say anything. With a lazy smile, Derek walked toward me and scooped me up in his arms and carried me into the bedroom. He set me down and then climbed in with me. "Sweet dreams, Derek", I mumbled sleepily. "Of you", he said. If he had said anything else I didn't hear him. I curled up in his arms and drifted off into sleep.

I woke up with Derek's arms still wrapped tightly around me. I was just so happy that I grabbed his face and kissed him greedily. He was surprised, but he happily reciprocated. I might have as well been deaf or blind because I was oblivious to everything but Derek.

"WHAT. THE. HELL?!" a familiar voice spluttered. _Penelope,_ I thought._ Shit_. Derek and I turned towards the door immediately. Penelope stood there, frozen with a pile of mail strewn across the floor at her feet. Her eyes were filled with shock. "Pen, come sit with me and Derek and I'll explain," I say, finally getting myself to speak. I led her to the couch and the set of chairs. I went to couch to sit on Derek's lap while Penelope sat in one of the overstuffed chairs.

"So, Derek came over the loft yesterday because I had to talk to him about something," I began, trying to give the least amount of vague answers possible. I should have known better than to think Penelope would let this slide. "What did you two need to talk about?", Penelope asked trying to avoid sounding like she was prying. She failed. Terribly. "Us, as a couple outside of the show," Derek said almost serenely. If Derek hadn't answered before I did, I would have told her it was none of her business. Not that I was upset at her, I was just upset that I had to explain myself to somebody. I was desperate to have a private personal life. Every other part of my life was opened up for everyone to scrutinize.

"As for last night, Derek and I watched movies all night. By the time he was going to go home, it was late and he was too late for him to go home. And no, we didn't do anything last night. You coincidentally saw us kiss on the bed. But it was just a kiss," I explained with a little agitation apparent for having to explain myself. "Oh,". That's all that Penelope could manage to say. "I think I speak for both of us when I say we would really appreciate if this could stay between the three of us. If it got out it would affect the show and create a press nightmare. It's honestly hard to go out anywhere together as it is now. We'll eventually announce it, but when we're ready," Derek told Penelope. He had this stern seriousness about his voice. But I could tell he unleashed the full force of his entrancing eyes and dazzling smile. I wondered if he understood the full effect his charm had on people. Especially the female population. Penelope looked thoroughly charmed and looked like she was about to drool. Then I began to feel a slight pang of jealousy that he dazzled _her_ with his eyes instead of me. I quickly shook the thought out of myhead knowing that Derek was _mine_. "I won't say anything, I promise. Scout's honor," Penelope promised, doing a mock salute. _She better._ I thought.

Penelope left soon after that. She had an emergency meeting with my agent Sarah Firestone and my PR rep Tiffany Theson. I reminded her that she couldn't mention anything about Derek and I to them. I would eventually talk to them myself.

Being a sweetheart, Derek made me a late breakfast. He wasn't hungry apparently. My dear sister Sophie begged and pleaded to borrow my Audi because her car broke again. I told her that she was an idiot to buy one of those Fiats. They're a poor excuse for an Italian luxury automobile. I told her she would be better off buying a Ford. In the DiLaurentis family, a Ford was the epitome of poor car craftmanship. My dad threatened disownment to whichever child decided to blaspheme the DiLaurentis name by buying a hunk of scrap metal with a Ford logo on it.

Thanks to Derek I let her borrow my Audi. He offered to take me to and from rehearsal so that she could borrow my car. That guy never stopped giving. Derek left shortly after that so could get ready for rehearsal. "Bye babe, I'll see you in an hour and a half or so," Derek called over his shoulder. In mid-stride he stopped, turned on his hee,l and walked back towards me. He smiled at me and said, "almost forgot,". He leaned and pressed his lips lightly against mine. I sighed. I didn't return the kiss because I knew I'd never be able to let him leave after. I inwardly chuckled at the effect he had on me. I reluctantly watched him descend the loft and disappear to the floor below.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

My prep team was out for a few days attending this seminar thing with Vogue editor Anna Wintour and celebrity makeup artist Pat McGrath. This gave me a chance to hone my makeup and hair skills. I have been way too sheltered these last five years. I shamelessly googled on my iPhone how to do one of the volumized ponytails. I watched three tutorials on YouTube and read a Wiki How on the topic. Much to my delight, I mastered it on the third try. Feeling pretty brave, I kept my face au natural. I had an inkling that an half an hour into rehearsal I was going to sweat it all off. I grabbed my Vitamin Water and my keys and headed out the door. I was in such a hurry that I forgot to feed Lily so I ran back to the loft and gave her some food and water. I frantically ran to my car not wanting to be late.

I gave myself a lecture on the way there. I told myself I had to focus on the. No matter how gorgeous his eyes were, or that he had a perfect smile, and he had the cutest dimples when he smiled…_Stop it! You're doing it right now_, I thought to myself. I told myself that I had all the time after rehearsal to be with Derek. I knew that if I wanted to get anywhere in the show then I needed to kick it into high gear.

By the time I had given myself this whole lecture I was already pulling in front of Studio C. I inwardly sighed at the imminent pain I'd probably be feeling approximately eight hours later. I found solace in the fact that it was eight hours with Derek.

I strode into the studio replaying the conversation with Penelope. As much as I trusted her, it was hard for me to believe that she wouldn't tell anybody just as Derek had requested. It was all too easy for me to see Penelope meeting with a writer from People Magazine and giving them the inside scoop on our budding romance. For me it didn't seem too far-fetched. People and magazines like it have already featured articles about Derek and I. I tried to shake the image out of my head. Then I started feeling badfor thinking that Penelope would sell me out like that.

I got halfway through the first rehearsal room before my eyes were suddenly covered and I was restrained from moving. "Guess who?" the familiar voice said into my ear. "Mario Lopez or John Stamos, hopefully," I reply trying not to laugh, knowing full well to whom the voice actually belonged to. "Well, that's some pretty big competition," Derek whispered in my ear. "There's _no_ competition," I whispered back in his ear. He smiled seductively and pulled me in for a kiss. The kiss lasted longer than I expected. But I wasn't complaining.

I pulled away breathless. "I made that kiss count because for the next hour and a half we have to pretend like we're not madly in love with each other," Derek says with longing in his voice. "I can't wait till everyone knows were a couple and we don't have to pretend we're not," I say a little frustrated. "Would one last kiss make it a little better?" He asked me, moving closer. "Much better," I replied, closing the distance. He dipped me and kissed me for a good couple of minutes. "Ahem," somebody cleared their throat behind us. We both looked up to see Val Chmerkovskiy in the door way.

"Oh….uhhm…hh-he-h-hey Val," I stuttered, throwing a frantic look in Derek's direction. "Sorry, did I interrupt something?", Val asked with the faintest of Russian accents. From the fact that his eyes were smiling, I guessed that he was being witty. Typical Chmerkovskiy. "Val, I'm not going to beat around the bush, how much, exactly, did you see?" I demanded, boring into his eyes. "The last thirty seconds or so," he replied nonchalantly. "Did you need something?" I asked, trying to make my voice less aggravated. "I just left my bag in the corner over there," he said innocently, gesturing to it. I saw Derek preparing to say something. I stepped on his foot to get the message across. As Val went across the room I took the opportunity to talk to Derek. "Let me get this one. I can be _extremely_ persuasive," I said in a hushed tone, batting my eyelashes. "I know all too well the power of your persuasion," Derek replied quietly.

"Hey, Val?" I called across the room. "Yeah?" he called back, walking back towards us. "We'd both really appreciate it if this could stay between us. You understand, right?" I asked, probably rhetorically, unleashing the full power of my lash batting. The poor guy looked like a deer in headlights. "Of course," Val said suavely, kissing my hand. That boy knows how to recover. _Russians,_ I thought. With that Val turned around and walked out of the room. He would make a dramatic exit.

I turned towards Derek. He looked a little miffed. "Hey, are you ok?" I asked. "Yeah, I just get a wee bit jealous from time to time." he said, gesturing. "Well, you know what? I'll be sure to make it up to you later," I replied seductively, kissing the corner of his mouth teasingly. "I'll hold you to that," he said with a serious tone. We couldn't continue the conversation because the camera crew came in just then. I pretended that the camera crew wasn't there so I could focus on perfecting the rumba.

"Alright, so for the Viennese Waltz I want to amp of the complexity of the choreography. If Len wants more, we'll give it to him," Derek starts platonically, but still trying to be upbeat. He repeated what he told me on Wednesday, for the sake of the camera crew. I can tell he's trying to keep the romance factor under wraps. But that is near impossible.

He started teaching me one of the lifts for the dance. It was one of the trickier ones we'd done. It essentially consisted of Derek lifting me on the bottom part of my rib cage and holding me on top of his shoulders. Derek supported me in the same way and my waist rested on his shoulders. Then I had to back flip off his shoulders onto the ground and then do a split. I had never done a back flip in my life. Even the prospect of doing one caused the onset of an anxiety attack.

The first ten times I failed miserably. He taught me how to do a back flip on the ground first. In less than an hour, I was pretty good at it. But back flipping off of Derek's shoulders was a whole other matter entirely.

The biggest problem I had with doing the flip off of his shoulders was the height factor. I didn't like the idea of doing a back flip more than five feet off the ground. It didn't seem that bad in theory. It's when you're actually up there, about to flip, that the five feet seems like twenty. I would close my eyes and just do the flip. The problem was that I was required to keep my eyes open so that I wouldn't flip into Derek and kick him in the head.

"Okay, one last time before we go to work on something else," Derek announced mercifully. He was so patient. I loved that about him. "On the count of three: one…two…..three…" Derek counted as he lifted me up. I balanced on his shoulders with ease. He glided across the room for a few seconds keeping me raised above his head. I took a deep breath and flipped off of his shoulders, keeping my eyes fixed on one point on the ground below. Amazingly, I did the flip with ease and landed perfectly into a split.

Derek smiled and reached down to pull me to my feet. "That was amazing!" he exclaimed, putting his hand out for a high five. I gave him an eyebrow raise and a you-could've-kissed-me-instead-you-know-right? look while our backs were turned to the cameras. He gave me an apologetic expression.

After what seemed like an eternity, the camera crew finally left. "That was torture," I sighed as Derek's arms wound around my waist. "I'm going to be completely honest, I can't stay away from you tonight," Derek whispered into my neck. "In that case, how would you feel if I introduced you to a member of the DiLaurentis family?" I asked, a small part of me wishing he would say no and lock me in his apartment with him. "Sounds good to me," he said, pulling me closer. "In that case, we'll go meet Grandma." I announced. For a split second Derek raised his eyebrow. "She is one of the only members of my family who does not own a semi-automatic weapon. And she makes a mean chocolate chip cookie," I explained. "In that case, let's go now," he suggests. I turn to start walking towards the door when Derek came up behind me, sweeps me off my feet, and carries me out to his Lexus.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

I turned on my heel and started walking towards the exit. I got only a few feet before my knees were knocked out from under me and I was being carried. Then I realized who was carrying me. For a second, I considered protesting. Then I realized the percentage of the female population that would most likely give anything to be in the exact position I was in at that moment. With this realization, I clutched at Derek's North Face and pulled myself as close as I could. Because of my proximity to Derek's jacket, the scent of his jacket wafted into my nose. It was _intoxicating_. It smelled like a combination axe, peppermint, and oddly enough Glade.

Soon enough, Derek, seemingly unwillingly, set me down in the passenger's seat. I kicked my shoes off and curled up in the seat. Derek hopped in the car and pulled out of the parking lot. "So where does Julianne live?" I asked, scooting towards him. "She actually lives down the hall from me," Derek replied laughing. "How cute," I squealed. "But I'm going to admit that I'm a little nervous about meeting her and telling her were dating," I admitted a little sheepishly. "Oh, Julianne's harmless. She just appears to be intimidating. When you actually get to know her, she's actually really sweet," Derek encouraged me.

We took the familiar ride up the elevator to Derek's floor. I decided to take a few liberties during the ride. I turned towards Derek and crushed myself to him. I took no time in kissing him with all that I had, knowing how little time I had left. Derek was surprised and his lips froze for a second, but he quickly responded. Subconsciously I jumped up and wrapped my legs around his waist, leaving no space between us. I took me a few seconds to realize I was even off the ground. Time was all but lost to us. In my peripheral, I saw the elevator door open. The opening doors revealed a forty-something woman in a suit with a brief case. I was still too absorbed to actually acknowledge the fact that we need to get off the elevator and that the woman was watching us. When she cleared her throat, it brought me and Derek back to reality. I released my death grip on Derek and pulled him with me out of the elevator. "Not that I'm complaining, but where did that come from?" Derek asked, obviously shocked at the kiss in the elevator. "I needed to get it out of my system," I said, winking.

By the time we reached Julianne's door, I was having heart palpitations. Derek realized I was nervous and gave me a reassuring kiss on the cheek. Derek rapped on the door with the quaint doorknocker. In a few seconds, Julianne was standing in the door way. "Oh hey Derek and Caitlin. What a nice surprise. Come on in," She greeted us. This was very reassuring to me.

We stepped in to a carbon copy of Derek's apartment. But, when I first walked in I never could have guessed that it was. The space had an open, yet cozy feel. She added a lot of feminine accents around the space. Pinks, purples, and florals accented the room. I loved it. Derek led me to a plush, white loveseat in the living area. Julianne sat in an also white wing back chair across the space. "So, any purpose for the visit?" Julianne asked, eyeing Derek. "Well, we wanted to tell you something," Derek began. "Oh my god, Caitlin you're pregnant aren't you?!" Julianne spluttered, pointing a finger accusingly at me. I suddenly experienced a flash of anger. Even if I had been pregnant, it wasn't like I just got that way on my own. But she placed no blame on Derek. "No! Of course not!" Derek half yelled. In the same moment, Derek cuddled me closer to him, trying to shield me from another verbal attack. "Oh. I'm so sorry. I apologize," Julianne apologized, obviously guilty she gave me an unwarranted accusation. "It's okay," I piped up. "So you wanted to tell me something?" Julianne asked. "We were going to tell you, which, by the way, you're the first to know about, that we're officially dating," he announced, tensed for Julianne's reaction. "Oh my god, that's great! I'm so happy for you!" she exclaimed. I felt Derek relax and he breathed a sigh of relief. Just then, Derek's phone rang. "I'm gonna have to take this," Derek says. He walks swiftly out of the apartment, closing the door behind him.

I became extremely nervous at that moment. "Caitlin, I really am sorry about accusing you so quickly. It wasn't fair to you whatsoever." She apologized once again. "It's okay, really." I replied, not wanting her to feel bad. Julianne shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "You have to know that my reaction relates to situations I the past," she says. "What do you mean?" I asked her puzzled. "Well, most of Derek's past girlfriends weren't too great. You see, Derek has the biggest hearts and is a giver through and through," Julianne stated. "Definitely," I assented. "He thought he could rehabilitate anyone. He was a magnets for "puppies" who lost their way," Julianne said shaking her head. "Worst of all, most of the girls he dated were simply treating him like a boy toy to get attention in the press and use his money," she said engendered with anger from the memories. "But there's something different with you. You actually seem genuine. And I know that you're are'nt after his fame or money because you have plenty of your own," she said smiling. "I truly love your brother with all that I am. He treats me like a princess every day. He so sweet and kind and patient. I couldn't ask for anything more," I almost rambled. "I'm so happy that someone actually sees Derek in that way. And I really do hope you and Derek go the distance. He lights up when he's around you. I've never seen him so happy," Julianne said, lit up herself. I blushed profusely.

Derek strode into the room a few moments later. He plopped back onto the love seat and positioned me in his lap, curling his arms around me. I glanced up at him smiling. Derek cupped my face and kissed me. "Ewwhhhh! Get a room," Julianne exclaimed. Derek smiled and continued to prolong the kiss for Julianne's benefit. We finally broke apart, needing oxygen. I buried my face in Derek's neck because I was slightly embarrassed she watched us make out.

Julianne's iPhone made this tinkling noise as she picked it up. "I gotta go. My PR rep wants to have a last-minute meeting. But we'll have to go to lunch sometime this week," she said getting up to grab her keys and coat. "Okay, bye sis," Derek said towing me along. "Bye, Julianne," I chimed in, exiting the apartment.

"Make dinner at the apartment?" Derek asked. "Read my mind," I said wrapping my arms around his waist. As we walked into the apartment, I had the overwhelming urge to tackle him. Naturally, I gave in. I got a running start and leapt onto his back, wrapping my legs around his waist in a death grip. "Oh no you don't," Derek said in almost mock seriousness. Derek ran to the back on the apartment and crashed us on to the bed. Consequently, he landed on top of me. But when I looked into his eyes, they were full of awe. "I love you so much it hurts," Derek whispered in my ear. "I love you more than I could ever tell you," I whispered back. Emotion overtook me and I kissed him with every ounce of my being. Derek let out a soft sigh and kissed me back fiercely. I was beyond overwhelmed. I subconsciously tore off his shirt and greedily ran my hands down his chest. Derek ran kisses down my neck. I shivered involuntarily at the contact. I fiddled with his belt buckle and Derek froze. "No baby, we can't," Derek said with apparent regret. "Why not?" I said defiantly. "I want it to be special. It will all make sense later," He explained. "You know you're testing my patience right?" I asked, on the edge of exasperation. "And mine too," he replied he said smiling. He gave me one last kiss on the cheek before he carried me back to the couch.

"I don't know about you, but I feel exhausted after your little stunt," Derek said giving me a sly smile. "Am I that good?" I asked, replicating his smile. "Too good," he said, placing me on his lap. "Yeah, so I don't think that dinner is going to get made," Derek announced. "Figured as much," I replied, trying to hide my grin. "How about pizza?" he asked reaching for his iPhone. "Double cheese please," I said, batting my eyelashes. As he was ordering I was trying to figure out what miracle brought him to me.

Derek, in all his infinite wisdom decided to put Silence of the Lambs on. I resigned myself to cuddling at his side. Most of the time I was to keep myself from kissing him like there's no tomorrow. Then I realized I probably wouldn't sleep if I watched this movie, so I wrapped my arms around Derek and buried my face into his shirt. Derek's arms tightened around me as an automatic reaction. "Too scary?" He whispered into my ear. Even his _voice_ was sexy. "No, I just like the smell of your shirt," I replied sarcastically. Derek chuckled

At that moment the pizza came, as per Derek's request I stayed on the couch. He even brought me my pizza. I hid the remote and put a key lock on the TV so that Derek could not put an über annoying or scary show or movie. That poor guy was dumbfounded. I kept my poker face so that he wouldn't be suspicious. I soon got really sleepy. I cuddled to his chest and fell asleep.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Hey guys, I know I've been a little slow with updates and I apologize. I'm trying to get them up ASAP. I would also really appreciate reviews. Constructive criticism always helps.

Thanks!

Chapter 10

"Baby, I love you more than you'll ever know," Derek said, inches from my face, staring into my eyes. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him with as much force as I could muster. My eyes fluttered open to see Derek trying to get out of a strangle hold. I realized that I was the one giving him the strangle hold and let go. "How'd this happen?" I asked, not fully awake yet. "I woke up to you on top of me, kissing me. Then I realized that you weren't even awake," he told me. I turned bright red. I pretended to shift so that I could fix my shirt in order to avert his eyes. I was _mortified._ I stayed where I was for several minutes, too afraid to turn around and face him. I could feel Derek's eyes bore into my back, but I still wouldn't turn around.

A few minutes later, I felt Derek's arms wind around me and pull me so that I was facing him. I tried to hide my face, still. Inevitably, Derek's finger forced my chin up so I had no choice but to meet his gaze. "Don't be embarrassed. But tell me, what exactly were you dreaming about?" Derek asked, his eyes alight with curiosity. I hesitated. "If you really want to know, I was dreaming about the thing that you refuse to do," I said agitated. He gathered me up into his arms and cradled me to his chest. "Baby, you know I want to. I just want it to be the right time," "You know just as well as I do, I don't take the word "no" for an answer," I say matter-of-factly. "Oh, believe me I know. That's why I never said no," Derek said smiling. I crossed my arms over my chest and rolled my eyes, exasperated. "You know that I'm doing this because I love you, right?" Derek asked, looking straight into my eyes. "I guess so," I caved in.

Derek then realized we had to be at rehearsal in an hour or so. I speed showered at the apartment. I skipped makeup and the hair as I had no hair appliances or products and I had not an ounce of makeup. I put on my favorite Pink shorts and m49ers t-shirt from Pink. I made a mental note to grab my dancing shoes and throw them into my black leather Kate Spade tote bag.

Minutes later we were walking hand-in-hand towards the Lexus. Suddenly, Derek leaned over to kiss me. I kissed him back enthusiastically. Out of nowhere, there was a hoard of photographers surrounding us. I could barely see Derek next to me because of the blinding flashes. I felt Derek put his arm behind my back and guide me toward the car. Derek pulled out dangerously fast, almost mowing down a few photographers in the process. It made me extremely nervous. "Can you see yet?" Derek asked with humor. "It's getting there," I replied, rubbing my eyes.

Derek and I have similar driving techniques: fast with awful road rage. Anyone else would tell you that my description is sugar coated and that the proper term is insanity. Because of Derek's driving techniques we were at the studio in less than ten minutes. In fear of another photographer ambush, Derek and I kept our contact minimal. It was definitely a challenge for the both of us.

"So this week we have to do two dances. The first dance is the paso doble. We get to choose the second dance," Derek said, exuding enthusiasm. I was elated. "I wanna do the salsa," I said, pumped. I was suddenly hyperaware of an entire camera crew situated about the room and a boom several feet above my head. At that moment I realized that I had to keep even the slightest hint of romance out of the situation. Especially with all the media attention.

"So which dance do you want to practice first?" Derek asked with forced formality for the camera crew's sake. He pulled it off effortlessly though. "I think I'll start the paso because it sounds like fun," I stated, laughing a little. "Oh, it is," Derek said with a smug expression.

"Promise me you'll attempt to not laugh through the whole thing," Derek said, piercing my eyes with his own. "Scouts honor," I replied with a mock salute. "Good. Besides technique, emotion is the most important thing for the paso doble," Derek said with the mock formality. I then realized that the camera crew was gone. "Oh, I have _plenty_ of emotion," I said closing the space between us and laying my hands on his chest. He looked adoringly down at me. "The paso also has conflicting emotions. One minute there's pure passion, the next its hate," he explained. "So you're telling me to feel the emotions I already feel?" I asked, arching an eyebrow. Derek said nothing, but rolled his eyes.

We started the dance, and I tried to put emotion into the dance. "That was good, but for the judges sake, we have to be a little more authentic,". I rolled my eyes. "For this first part, imagine that I keep saying no to that certain activity

"Alright, let's start learning these steps," Derek said tugging me towards the other side of the room. "Okay, so you're going to start on the other side of the room, opposite me, and then we'll meet in the middle," he explained. I stood behind him and mirrored his steps. After a few times, I was able to do the steps on my own. Soon enough, we did the first set of steps perfectly in sync. "That was really good, now we just add emotion," he said. "For the most part in this dance, hate me, but somewhere deep down you still love me, and I love you regardless," Derek said smugly. "I think it describes us really well," I said smiling at him. He just rolled his eyes.

I put myself in past situations in order to evoke the proper emotions and make them appear genuine. Soon I felt my facial expressions and my entire demeanor change. "There's that emotion!," Derek exclaimed seemingly pleased.

We rehearsed just a little longer. For the first time in a long time, I didn't want rehearsal to necessarily end. "Hey, there's something I want to show you at the apartment. Can you come at seven? You can just let yourself in," He asked with a hopeful expression. However, his eyes seemed anxious. "I'd like nothing more," I replied stretching up to kiss his cheek. "I love you, Caitlin," Derek declared, his eyes intense, but loving. "Love you, Derek,". With this I reluctantly left. The faster I left him, the faster I could get everything else done and see him again.

My first priority was to play with Lily. I had seen very little of her due to most of my time being spent with Derek. I immediately felt a pang of guilt. I brought every single toy she owned out and I played with her for a couple hours. Only then did I realize how much I really missed her. By the time I finished playing with Lily, the poor thing was exhausted. She barely made it to her little pink, rhinestone encrusted doggie bed. Everyone told me that my spoiling Lily was just a precursor of how I would treat my kids someday. My mind jumped into the future when maybe Derek and I could have a baby of our own. I smiled. Derek would be the best dad. That much was obvious in the way he treated me. Soon enough I was flying out the door to see the surprise that awaited me at Derek's apartment.

I spent the entire way there and the elevator ride to his floor contemplating what he surprise could be. As I was nearing his apartment, the suspense was agonizing. I finally reached his door. I was about to knock when I remembered that Derek told me to let myself in. I wondered why that was. I took a deep breath to calm myself and opened the door and stepped inside.

When I walked in, I immediately scanned the room for Derek. I was surprised when I didn't see him. Then I became aware of my surroundings. The entire apartment was covered in red rose petals. Then I realized that there was a wide aisle of rose petals on the floor, lined by lit candles, that led all the way to the back of the apartment. The navy duvet on the bed in the back of the apartment was covered with a huge heart made out of rose petals. My eyes flashed back to the front of the room, where I spotted Derek's table covered in yet more petals and some lit candles. The table featured two place settings and a feast for two. I figured he probably made it all.

Suddenly, two muscular arms wound around me. I turned around and I was greeted by Derek's smile. "Surprise," Derek said, gesturing to the apartment. "It's an amazing surprise. You're too good to me," I said in response, pulling myself to him. "No, you deserve this by far and away," He said seriously, trying to convince me of it as he led me to the table.

The dinner was delicious as usual. It was nice just to be able to talk without worrying about eavesdroppers and prying camera crews. Suddenly, I got up and walked towards Derek. He smiled and opened up his arms to me, knowing what I wanted. I happily sat in his lap, facing him. We simply looked at each other for a few moments, almost communicating telepathically. Unable to contain myself, I kissed him with all the force I could muster. Derek returned the kiss with an equal amount of force. I instinctively wrapped my legs around Derek's waist. Derek stood up, and began to move. We eventually were on top of Derek's navy duvet. I rolled on top of Derek, still trying to catch my breath. I kissed him yet again, my attempts at stopping myself were futile. I just about tore Derek's shirt off in impatience. I began fiddling with his belt buckle, unable to get it undone. Derek froze for a fraction of a second. "Do you want to do this?" Derek asked, his eyes searching mine. "More than anything," I replied, staring into his eyes. Derek hesitated, still looking at me. His eyes grew intense. "I love you more than anything, ever," he said with undeniable passion. "I love you," I replied, to overcome with emotion to say much else. That was our first night together.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Hey guys. I will now try to update more regularly. Thanks for being patient with me. Again, I would extremely appreciate reviews! I love to see what you guys think.

Chapter 11

My eyes fluttered open, but then squinted because of the bright sunlight streaming through the window. I found myself lying on his bare chest, his arms around me, keeping me there. I tried to move my head, but it was currently in the crook of his neck. I carefully maneuvered my head so I wouldn't wake Derek. He looked so peaceful when he slept. It was the face of an archangel in the flesh. A faint smile played on his lips. He looked adorable.

I slowly knelt at his side, careful not to wake my archangel. I bent my face slowly to his, and placed a light kiss on his lips. His smile grew, and his eyes flew open. "I love you,". Those were his first words to me. I responded with a kiss. "So, what is on the agenda for today?" I asked in a singsong voice. "How about meeting my family, since we're having a Hough get- together this afternoon," Derek said, seemingly excited at the prospect of me meeting his family. "Okay," I assented, trying to hide my hesitation. It didn't work very well because Derek's eyebrows knit together trying to figure out what I was actually thinking. "Oh, they'll love you. There's no need to be nervous," he said trying to calm my nerves. "If you say so," I said not entirely convinced.

"So where is the get-together?" I asked conversationally. "At my parents' house in Utah," he said nonchalantly, awaiting my reaction. "U-U-Ut-U-Utah?" I stuttered in surprise. "Yeah, it's just right outside of Salt Lake City," he replied. "How are we getting there, exactly?" I asked again, skeptical. "There's no flights available, so we are going to go on a little road trip," Derek said excited at the prospect. When I really thought about it, it wouldn't be so bad going to meet his family. The ride there would just be more quality time with Derek. "But we need to work on our salsa," I said, remembering we had barely started working on it. "There's a dance studio in the back of my parents' property," he said. My mouth hung open in an "o" making an audible noise. Derek let out a low chuckle.

"You have about an hour and a half to get ready," Derek informed me, knowing I have a tendency to run late. I gave him a quick peck on the cheek and hopped up, about to find my extra change of clothes. I then realized I wasn't wearing any. I heard Derek's intake of breath. I inconspicuously peeked over his shoulder to see his eyes wide and his mouth agape. To work this to my advantage, I walked into the bathroom with a combination of a saunter and a strut. I blew a kiss to him before I entered the doorway. ,

Somehow, I managed to blow out my hair, curl it, get dressed, and apply all necessary cosmetics with still at least fifteen minutes to spare. It was an all-time record. I suddenly remembered something, and a dejected look came on my face. "What's wrong babe?" Derek asked, realizing my change in mood. "I just thought about Lily. I don't want to ask anyone in my family because I'm not ready to explain this whole situation to them, and everybody else is traveling," I explained. "Well, I talked to my parents and they said Lily could come with us and stay at the house with the other dogs. I feel like I already keep you away from her enough," he said. "That is so sweet of your parents and sweet of you to remember Lily," I said admiringly. "Anything for you," he said, bringing me into his embrace.

Soon, we got Lily from my loft and gathered up the few items she'd need to make the trip and we were on our way. The Lexus seemed a little more crowded than usual with all of the stuff we packed. If I'm being honest, the vast majority of the stuff was mine. Not to mention, the little princess named Lily mad the whole back seat into her own little personal suite. It was a petty relaxing ride. Derek seemed pretty excited that I was meeting his family. "You seem so excited that I'm meeting your family," I commented after a few moments of comfortable silence. "Of course I'm excited. I get to show my family what my future looks like, in the flesh," he replied as if that answer was exceedingly obvious. I was stunned at his explanation. _I was his future_. That statement overwhelmed me. Somehow, I fell in love with him all over again at that very moment. "Derek, could you pull over at this rest stop for a moment?" I requested. He immediately turned onto the little ramp that led to the rest stop.

The second he put the Lexus in park, I leapt into his lap and pulled myself to his chest, wrapping my arms around his waist. I felt him freeze for a fraction of a second in surprise. "You are _my_ future Derek Hough," I said staring into his eyes. I swear I could see into his soul. Derek smiled in response, but his attention was held by something else. "What are you staring at?" I asked. "The most beautiful, intelligent, funny, and loving person I have ever seen," he replied, putting my head under his chin and kissed my hair. We stayed that way for an immeasurable moment.

"Okay, we better get back on the road. I don't want to make a bad impression on them," I said, the nervousness creeping back in. "It would be impossible for them not to like you," Derek said trying to reassure me. "I guess I'll have to take your word for it," I said, still unsure.

The total trip took somewhere between four and five hours. It didn't seem nearly that long. I enjoyed the scenery as we drove into Utah. The quiet roadways in the desert were a much welcomed change from the congested streets in L.A. Much too quickly for my liking, Derek pulled onto a less used unpaved road. A few miles down the trail the trees began to thin, and what appeared to be a lawn stretched before us. Derek parked the Lexus on the lawn since the driveway was already full of cars. He got out of the car, got Lily, and opened on the car. Derek wrapped his right arm around my waist, walking Lily on her leash in his other hand. He led us up a cobblestone walkway flanked by a myriad of colorful flowers that were planted perfectly. We arrived at the front door. I took a deep breath as Derek opened the door and walked us inside.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Hey guys, sorry for the cliffhanger. I just didn't want one huge long chapter. Again, I cannot stress enough how much I would appreciate reviews! It makes writing this all worthwhile. And what do you guys think about doing a chapter in Derek's perspective? Let me know in your review And to those of you who watch DWTS I encourage you to vote for Derek and Kellie.

Chapter 12

We walked into the bright and spacious foyer. A grandiose winding staircase dominated the west side of the room and the right half of the rom opened up to a few other adjoining rooms. Dogs began approaching so I let Lily do what she does best: socialize. Soon, what I presumed to be Derek's dad walked out from the kitchen. "Dad, this is Caitlin," Derek said introducing the two of us. "Nice to meet you honey," Mr. Hough said, giving me a hug. "It's nice to meet you too Mr. Hough," I said. "Call me Bruce," he said casually as he led us inside.

Derek stopped just before entering the living room and nudged me. "I'm sorry I have neglected to tell you but my parents are divorced, so you'll be meeting my step mom. We're going to meet my mom and step dad tomorrow," he told me in a hushed voice. "Ok, that sounds good to me," I said, trying to keep the mood light.

As we entered in the room, we were bombarded what I presumed to be his sisters. "Sisters meet Caitlin, Caitlin, meet sisters," Derek said gesturing. I tried to commit their names to memory as they introduced themselves one by one. But I was too confident I'd remember them. Thankfully, Julianne was in attendance, so I would have at least one other person talk to. It was a lot to take in all at once. It was definitely sensory overload.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Derek's step mom drop a bowl of salad, and its contents spilled onto the floor. Nobody else seemed to notice, so I went into the kitchen and began to help her clean up the salad. "Thank you, dear," Derek's step mom said appreciatingly. "I'm Caitlin, by the way," I said, having the ice broken. "Call me Mariann. And it' so nice to meet you, Derek's told me a lot about you," she says smiling.

"Oh has he now?" I asked, laughing. "Since he first met you for the show, he hasn't shut up about you," she said, also laughing. "That's a good thing, right?" I asked hesitantly. "Honey, let me tell you something. That boy _adores_ you. I've never seen him so happy. He leaves for rehearsals smiling and when he comes back he's _beaming_. After last season wrapped, Derek was kind of a lost soul. His last girlfriend left him for this forty-five year old millionaire. He was so hurt, it was hard for me to see him like that. I wasn't even sure he was going to do this season. The day after he met you for the first time, he came over for dinner. It was a completely different person," she said.

"Derek makes me completely happy. He's so gentle, sweet, funny, loving, and makes amazing food. Not to mention he won't let me pay for _anything_ short of my mortgage. He's more than I could ever ask for," I replied, simply awed at the person Derek was. "You two really are cute together," Mariann admits.

Dinner flew by. Probably because I finished my plate in record time, as did everybody. Cooking apparently runs in the family. After dinner, it was decided that we would all play Monopoly as soon as all the nieces and nephews fell asleep. I immediately called dibs the boat game piece. Derek raised an eyebrow. "It looks like the Titanic," I explain, smiling. Derek just rolled his eyes. "Hey, you could learn a thing or two from Leonardo DiCaprio," I said playfully. He snorted. "I wuv you," I cooed at him, looking up at him and batting my eyelashes. He bent his neck and kissed the tip of my nose.

Since Derek's sisters also brought their significant others, there was a lot of people playing the game. Each couple became a team to make playing a whole lot easier. I'm pretty sure we annoyed the hell out of everybody with our cut-throat competitive attitude. But that attitude did lead us to victory.

After the board game, which took approximately two hours to complete, we all went onto the back patio and had a bonfire. It was very authentic. It was to the point that we all sat on enormous logs that surrounded the bonfire. Most of the time was spent telling stories of Derek as a little kid. I got a kick out of them.

As I was cuddled to Derek's side, I looked up him and whispered, "I love you,". He gently cupped my face and kissed me passionately. Suddenly, the world didn't exist. I was aware of just Derek. "Ewww! Get a room!" a female voice exclaimed that I recognized as Julianne's. "Speaking of rooms, I think Caitlin and I are going to bed. We have to practice early tomorrow in the studio," Derek said as he stood up. "Since I'm almost positive you two have shared a bed before, you guys can stay in Derek's room when he stays here," Bruce said candidly. I blushed profusely. "Yeah Derek, get some of that," one of his brother-in-laws laughed across the way. "Oh I intend to," Derek said playing along.

We walked along the stone path back to the house, our hands intertwined. He then led me up the staircase and to the room we would be staying in. The room had a slightly masculine vibe and featured cool colors, reflecting its occupant's style. I opened the suitcase on the bed and pulled out my pajamas. I changed in less than a minute. When I looked up, Derek was ogling. "Aren't we past this yet?" I asked, shaking my head, smiling. "Nope, probably never will be," he said. Derek put on UCLA sweats and removed his shirt. Suddenly I felt like I was an eight year old again on the high of a sugar rush and as hyper as the energizer bunny. I got a running start and knocked Derek onto the bed. I pinned his arms to the bed, figuring they wouldn't stay that way very long. "You're my prisoner," I say, trying to keep a straight face but I failed miserably. "Bring on the shackles," he said laughing, but there was something serious about his eyes. I bent down and kissed him. His arms flew from beneath my grip and wrapped themselves around my waist. The room spun as Derek flipped me over so that I was beneath him. I grabbed his face and kissed him greedily. I sighed. "Unfortunately, there's a whole group of people downstairs," I said putting my hands on either side of his face. "Sorry, I can't help myself," He says, kissing my collarbone. "I know you can't," I replied as if it were obvious, which it was. I snuggled to his chest. Derek began to sing a song I'd never heard. "What's the name of the song?" I asked. "it doesn't have a name yet. I wrote it as a lullaby for you," he said, he told me, his eyes softening. "I love you Derek," I told him sleepily. "Love you more," he said while his arms tightened around me. Within minutes I drifted off in to peaceful sleep in his arms.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

A/N: Hey guys, sorry for the long wait. A bunch of things came up that I didn't expect. Again, I can never have too many reviews! I love seeing your guys' take on my story. This is in Derek's perspective. Should I do another DWTS story with another professional? Let me know. Hhahah just looked at that last question and I already wrote another story with another celebrity and professional…..that's how long is been since I updated…sorry bout that. Enjoy!

Bam! I was jolted awake when something slammed against me. I looked up to see Caitlin laying on my chest, smiling at me. "Did you just get a running start and try to tackle me while I was asleep?" I asked with mock horror. "Yes, yes I did," she said with a smirk. I just shook my head as I grabbed her waist and flipped her over; leaving butterfly kisses down her neck. "Mommy, Mommy! Look what Uncle Derek and Caitwin are doin'!" one of my nieces yelled down the hall after she peeked through the bedroom door. Before I could react, my dear sister had already barreled through the door.

"Omygod!," Julianne exclaimed making her sentence sound like one word. "Are you trying to scar your niece for life?" she asked accusingly, with a pointed look at me. "Hey now, Catitlin, Miss Seductress, over here started it. I was putty in her hands," I replied, sending a smug smile in Caitlin's direction. "Did not! Just for that, no kisses for you," she jabbed a finger in my direction and pretended to button her lips. I made a puppy dog face in an attempt to make her forget. She shook her head. Surprisingly, she craned her neck and slowly brushed her lips down the side of my jaw and stopped at the corner of my mouth. I tried to cradle her face when she abruptly leaned away and scooted a few feet away from me on the bed. "You're not playing fair," I pouted. "Never said I had to," she quipped, teasing me with her eyes.

I pouted again. She knew that it would kill me not being able to kiss her and she used it against me. Damn she's good. I know you're not supposed to fight fire with fire, but… I leaned over and brushed my lips from her temple to her waist. She was fighting back a response. Hard. I could sense a victory in the very near future. I could have very well have kissed her, but what's he fun in that? She was going to be the one to cave in.

I repeated my circuit from her temple to her waist several times. Each time she lost more and more resolve. "All you have to do is say the word," I whispered in her ear. I felt a shudder ripple down her spine. In response, she squeezed her eyes shut and grimaced in effort to resist. In one final effort I gently pressed my lips to the corner of her mouth. That's all it took. Caitlin grabbed my shoulders forcefully and pulled herself to me. Immediately, her lips met mine. I grinned smugly against her lips in victory.

When she finally pulled away, I grinned widely, intending Cailtlin to see it. She rolled her eyes, a slight glimpse of a smile on her lips hat she desperately trying to hide. "So, what's on the agenda today, Der?" she asked, plopping back down on the bed. "We are going to meet my mom and my stepdad for lunch at 1:30," I replied, plopping down next to her. "Okay, sounds good. I'm going to shower and get ready then," she announced, as she stood up. "Now stay, and be good. Don't chew on the furniture in the meantime," Caitlin said as if I was a dog or something. I stood up in response and licked her cheek. "Ewhh! What are you doing?!" she exclaimed, pushing on my chest to no avail. "Well, if you're going to treat me like a dog I may as well act like one," I explained, smiling. She rolled her eyes and walked into the bathroom. I snickered until she banged the bathroom door shut.

I plopped back on the bed, waiting for Caitlin to finish in the bathroom. I was grinning like an idiot. I loved seeing Caitlin interact with my family. She fit perfectly and was the last piece to the puzzle. It was a nice change for my family to like my girlfriend. Most of the time, they disapproved completely. Their acceptance was important to me. It wasn't make or break, but still important. It wouldn't have been fair to Caitlin to be in a relationship where her possible future in-laws and family completely disliked her. The fact that they did approve only confirmed the fact that Caitlin was meant to be in my life.

I could definitely see a future with this girl. She had everything I could ever hope for and then some. She brought out the best of me and made me a better man. She completed me. A realized then how much I truly loved her. I told her I loved her time and time again, but this time I truly connected with the feeling. I was so thankful she made into my life somehow. Chance, fate, destiny, God, whatever you want to call it, she made it into my life and that's all that mattered.

I got so deep into my thoughts that I lost track of the time. I came back into reality and realized that we had to leave soon. I jumped up from my bed and began rummaging through the chest of drawers. My stepmom always kept these drawers stocked with clothes, bless her heart. I pulled out a cotton v-neck and a pair of jeans, not really in the mood to put effort into my look. Just as I finished getting dressed, Caitlin stepped out of the bathroom.

My mouth popped open at the sight of her. She stood in the doorway wearing a formfitting fuchsia v-neck dress that came just above the knee. Her hair cascaded down her back in perfect mahogany ringlets. She was beautiful. She kissed my cheek as she passed through the doorway. "You ready, babe?" I asked, grabbing my sunglasses. "As ready as I'll ever be," she replied, intertwining our hands.


End file.
